Stephen L. Kearney was born on 28 Oct 1828 at Limerick, Ireland, according to the Kearney family Bible. (Note: his death certificate says Philadelphia, and his enlistment information says Connecticut.)

Starting 1847, Stephen served in the Mexican War as a drummer boy.

Stephen L. Kearney married Pleasence Pallant, and they had at least four children.

On 1 Aug 1861 Stephen, who was already a soldier, mustered into service with the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry as a 2nd Lieutenant, being credited to the quota of Grafton, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He was 32 years, 9 months and 4 days old.

On 16 Jan 1862 Stephen ended military service with the 15th Massachusetts by resignation.

After the war, he moved his family to Washington, DC, where he served as a policeman until his death.

He died on 13 May 1893 at Washington, DC. He was 64 years, 6 months and 15 days old.

From "The National Tribune," Washington, D.C., 18 May 1893:Stephen L. Kearney, a retired police officer, who was an attendant at the White House during Grant's Administration, committed suicide by shooting himself through the head this morning. The physician who has been attending Kearney for some time, stated that he would have died in less than 10 days if nature had been allowed to take its course. Kearney was a soldier in the Mexican war, and was a Lieutenant in the 15th Mass. during the war of the rebellion.

Pleasence, his wife, outlived Stephen and died on 8 Aug 1899 at Washington, District of Columbia.